In The Hands of Fate
by writerandlover
Summary: Severus Snape has always had his eyes on one girl at Hogwarts, Sarah. She is everything that he wants in a girl. But then he meets, Vicki. She is pretty, smart, hilarious, and Snape falls for her instead. What happens when Fate comes in and changes that?


Chapter One

The strange thing about love is that you never know when it'll come. It could come at the most needed time, or the least expected. And that's exactly what happened to one young man. He wanted love, wanted to be loved, he just didn't know when or how. But it came sooner than he expected. From then on, he never doubted the power of fate.

It was a dark, rainy night in the small country side of England. It was about 11:20 pm on a Wednesday. Severus, or Sev as people called him these days, was sitting by the candle light, reading a potions book. Their power had just gone out and he was in the middle of researching for a big potions paper due after spring break. Oh how much he loved potions! He loved how a simple potion can make such an impact on anything, to animals to humans. He planned on being a potions teacher when he graduated from Hogwarts, which was coming up soon. He was half way thru his junior year. He was in the house of Slytherin, which made his parents very happy, seeing as both his mother and father were perfects. Severus flipped a couple pages ahead, and came to his favorite potion, the truth potion. With this potion, if you think someone is lying, you can make them take this potion, and whatever question you ask them, you have to answer them. It basically forces you to tell the truth. He grinned evilly as he thought of all the possibilities of making this potion. He could force his younger sister to tell him if her friend, Sarah liked him or not. But he knew in reality, her friend thought that he was cold, and ugly. Who would date a boy with a nose the size of a cucumber? No one, not in this day or age.

He frowned at this thought, and threw the book on his book bag. His eyes started to get weary and it was going to be a long next couple of days. His family was going to travel to France for a couple days before spring break ended, and then he had to go back to Hogwarts. He slipped off his black robe and his undershirt, and replaced them with a tight black t-shirt and some blue plaid pajama bottoms. Oh how he loved the color black! It was so mysterious and dark. His mother made a fit one day when she went in his closet to find out that he went to Diagon Alley and got MORE black clothes when she pleaded with him to buy some "colored" clothes for his wardrobe. When he responded with, "they didn't have any different colored clothes." She threw up her arms in defeat and never nagged him again to buy more "uplifting" colored clothes.

He crawled into his lumpy bed, fluffed his feather pillow, and got onto his side.

The air was stale, but cool for a spring night. He brought the blanket up to his neck, and closed his dark green eyes. It was so nice to be home, away from all the drama of school. But he missed it. He couldn't wait to go back and try to ask Sarah out. Sarah had always caught his eye, and he so badly wanted to go out with her. She was a 4"6 girl, with black hair, just as his was, and blue eyes. Her laugh could be heard from miles away and even across the campus at Hogwarts. Her smile and nose was like a cat's. She also often wore this sweet smelling perfume. What was that smell? Oh yes, Cherry Blossoms. When she walked past him with her sister, the smell of the perfume put him a daze for days. He sometimes had a naughty thought on how he would love to wake up next to her, after making love, and having the smell of her on his skin. Shaking his head, to get rid of these thoughts of Sarah, he concentrated on trying to get some sleep. Knowing that it would be a living hell for the next few days, Merlin knew that he needed it. His breathing started to slow, his eyes grew heavy, and he fell asleep smiling at the thought of seeing her again after spring break was over.

Severus woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes. Thou he loved those kind of breakfasts; he wanted to sleep in more. So he flipped onto his stomach, and pulled the blanket over his head.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1…"

"SEVERUS, BREAKFAST!"

His mother yelled thru the thin walls of the house. She always did that ever since she was little. At a certain time, she would yell at him that breakfast was ready. She also never understood why he loved sleep so much.

"You're always up so late, and then you sleep in the afternoon. Why don't you go out and do something instead of sleeping the day away and wasting time in that cramped, dark room of yours? Honestly Sev! You need to get a social life!" She scolded him. And his response was: "yes mother, I'll work on it."

Severus then groaned and crawled miserably out of bed. Not once had she let him sleep in past 9:30. It was rather annoying. He opened his squeaky, wooden door and climbed down the stairs to the first floor and went into the kitchen. His father, Charles was sitting at the head of the table reading, "The prophet", and his sister, Emily was eating her breakfast, reading her Herbology text book. His mother, Cindy was piling some pancakes on a plate and she turned around and smiled.

"Good Morning my sunshine! How did you sleep?"

He sat down across from Emily and grabbed some pancakes, syrup, and a mug of coffee.

"Oh, same old, same old Mum."

She kissed his cheek and sat across from his father.

"Charles? Did you make those reservations to the hotel in France liked I asked?" She asked him, helping her self to some crispy bacon.

"Yes Dear, I did that last week remember?" he said in reply not looking up from the paper.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that you had done it. I would hate to go to France, and have to stay at your mothers."

Charles looked up and grinned. His mother and Cindy were not the best of friends after Charles and she got married. They always fought and argued on the best ways to raise her children, questioned her way she had chosen to go back to school to be an Auor, and why she lived in the small country side of England, instead of living in the never quiet city. Cindy couldn't stand her by any means. She swore to Charles that was the only downer of marrying him. On the other hand, she adored his father. His father worked at Gringotts bank, and always thought that she had raised the children very well, praised her for going back to school, and was pleased that she had chosen to live in the country side of England, because it was peaceful and beautiful. His mother looked over at Emily.

"Emily dear, have you packed yet?" She asked sipping her black coffee. Emily looked up and rolled her eyes.

"Mom, I told you yesterday that I packed. Severus didn't do his! Why are you asking me when you should be asking him the same thing?" She replied, glaring at Severus. His mother looked over at him and gave him the, "you better pack before noon, or else you're going to be in trouble look". He glared back at Emily, and stuck out his tongue before he got up and placed his plates in the sink.

"That was a Wonderful breakfast, Mother!" He told her, sucking up to her.

"Thank you darling! I'm glad that you enjoyed it!" She thanked him and ruffled his hair as she passed by him to go into her room to pack a couple more things.

"Sucking up again I see." Emily accused harshly.

"Me? I wouldn't do that ever!" he said, pinching her in the side as he walked back to his room.

"Hey! That hurt you troll!" She yelled at him.

He chuckled evilly and walked over to his bed, and accidentally stepped on his potions book. Leaning over, Severus picked it up and placed it on his marble desk. Then he went over to his book shelf. There were many books on it, Authors ranging from Dickens to Robert Frost. He ran his fingers over the spines until he came to one that the spine was worn a bit, but was familiar. Taking it off the shelf, he brought it over to his bed and opened it to his class photos. It was last years, but he didn't mind. He just wanted to see Sarah's photo before they went to France. He scanned his eyes along the rows of pictures, before finding hers. She was wearing her hair up in a bun, and was laughing in the photo. He smiled and touched the photo. She for sure made him weak to his knees, no matter what she did. Then he flipped to the back of the book. In the back, people had written their signatures and a message. There were quite a few from each house, and then he came across Sarah's. Her handwriting was curly and she wrote: "Have a great summer, Sev! Try to get some color you hear?" Love, Sarah; with a winking smiley face.

He smiled again, and then read some other signatures on the page. And one caught his eye. It was signed by a girl named Vicki.

_Vicki… Did I have a class with her? Oh yeah! Potions. _

He flipped back to his classes section and found her name. Vicki Warfield.

She was about 5"4, glasses, and had a sweet smile, with blondish brown hair to her shoulders. She wasn't beautiful, but she was very pretty. She was very smart, one of the smartest girls in Gryffindor. What was he thinking? He obviously had a crush on Sarah, but there was just something about Vicki that made him think.

_This is crazy. We hardly even speak to each other in class. Our houses are enemies! I would be the laughing stock of Slytherin i__f I EVER went out with her. _

He shrugged and slipped the book under his bed. Why did he slip it under his bed? Because he just felt like it. He went over to his closet, and pulled out all the shirts, pants, boxers, and sweaters he had and stuffed them into his suitcase. He pat himself on the back.

_Take that Emily! I packed in less than 5 minutes and it took you a day to pack. _

And with that, he flopped back on the bed and closed his eyes for a short snooze until his mother came and got him and headed off to France for three days.

Chapter Two

The 3 day trip to France went by quickly, and Severus was relieved. It wasn't a bad trip; he just wanted to go back to Hogwarts as soon as possible. The Eiffel

Tower was nice; they went up and down it. They went to a couple French restaurants where he dared Emily to at snails without puking. She puked afterwards and gave him the cold shoulder for the rest of the night. They also went to a couple of stores, and Sev found a really nice locket, that he planned on giving to Sarah as a one month anniversary gift when they became a couple. So overall, it wasn't a pain. It was actually quite nice and he was glad that it turned out to be a nice ending to spring break.

"Emily, come ON!" Severus urged her to hurry up.

"I'm coming! Snuffle's coughing, and it's worrying me!" She whined, as she followed slowly behind him lugging her trunks behind her.

"That dumb cat…" He groaned.

They finally made to 9 ¾ platform, and every one of their classmates were there. Catching up, waving others over. The train was about to come any minute, and then he saw his friend, James come over to him.

"Snape! What's up?" James asked as they did their secret handshake.

"I just got back from Paris, France yesterday. Our family took a short vacation." Severus replied. Snape is his last name, only his family calls him Severus. Close friends call him Snape.

"Wow, pretty fancy! Call me up next time! I would love to hook up with a pretty French girl." James winked at him. Snape grinned and then the train pulled up.

"Ha, I'll keep that in mind next time."

"Thanks, bro."

They walked over to their stuff, grabbed everything, and piled onto the train. It was packed as always, and they found an empty car, and placed their luggage above their heads. Snape was happy and excited to be going back to his second home. James sat across from him and pulled out the Daily Prophet.

"Why are you reading that rubbish?" he asked pulling out a scroll, quill, and his text book.

"I read it because it has some juicy stuff in it! Gossip, celebrities! Still working on your Potions paper?" he asked.

"Yes, unlike you I want to graduate and pass this year." Snape grinned.

"Come on now, Snape! Have a little fun!"

"I won't have fun until I make Sarah mine." He replied and opened up his book.

James shook his head, and smiled. He knew all about his crush, more like his obsession about Sarah. He knew that Snape wouldn't give up, unless she crushed him, which was probably going to happen, but Snape wouldn't listen. He was so stubborn and eyes on the prize. Then he heard the cart come down the hall and he grabbed his money, 20 dollars worth in coins.

"Anything from the cart, boys?" asked the old women.

"Yes, I would like one of everything please." Said james as he handed her the money. The old women gave him one of everything, and then looked at Snape.

"Anything for you, boy?"

"Um yes. A package of chocolate frog's please." Snape also handed her his money.

"There you go. Have a nice day." The old lady said and shut the door.

The two boys sat in silence, reading and eating their sweets. Soon enough, James fell asleep, candy hanging from his mouth. Snape chuckled when he saw this, and put his things back in his carry on pack. He looked out the window, the train speeding by lakes and forests at a decent pace. Then he closed his eyes too, the sugar making him sleepy, and he took a short nap, coming up with a plan to win over Sarah's heart.

Chapter Three

Vicki put down her book down as the train came to a stop. They were finally arrived back at Hogwarts and she was relieved. Her spring break wasn't the greatest. Her parents filed for a divorce, and she had to go back and forth between her mom and dad. She had fun with the both of them, she just felt heartbroken, heartbroken because her family was being separated. She looked at the seat across from her to see her best friend, Hope, crawled up in a ball sleeping. She smiled and went over to her.

"Hope, we're here." Vicki said, shaking Hope awake.

"Wha-? Already?" she asked, sitting up rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Yup! We'll be stopping any minute."

Vicki started to grab her bags from the top shelves and Hope followed her lead. Hope and Vicki had been friends ever since they started at Hogwarts. Hope was an outgoing, sweet, and funny girl. With long, dirty blond hair, 5"6, and had a lot of curves. She was attracted to Hope because she was nice and they instantly became friends. They have been thru so much together. Of course they had fights, and disagreements, but they both couldn't imagine not being friends. Hope had spent the spring break with Vicki, because her parents were in the Peace Core, and had to go over to the United States for a conference. So they couldn't go and get her.

The train stopped and the doors slipped open. Both girls turned around and grabbed their things. Just as Vicki was heading out the door first, she and Snape bumped heads and Vicki fell over, for she was sometimes clumsy.

"Hey, watch it!" Hope yelled at Snape.

"I am so sorry! Here let me help you up." He offered his hand to her, and Vicki grabbed it. "Are you okay? I am so sorry. I didn't see you there!"

Vicki looked up into his dark green eyes, as he helped her up.

_Wow, they are so green. Hey… do I know him?_

"It's okay. Part of it's my fault. I didn't see you in front of me. This might seem strange, but do I know you?" She asked, glancing at hope and back at Snape.

He looked at her, and was surprised. It was Vicki Warfield. She got even prettier since spring break. He blushed and cleared his throat.

"Uh, I think so. You're in my first hour potions class!" he replied.

"Oh yeah! Hi!" she stuck out her hand, and he shook it.

"Everyone, we are here at Hogwarts. Please grab your things and head to the exit of the train. Thank you." The lady over the intercom said, and Hope grabbed her stuff.

"Come on, Vicki." Hope said. Vicki nodded.

"Okay, well we should get going. Thanks for picking up my bag. By the way, what's your name?"

"Severus. Severus Snape. I'm in Slytherin." He said. She smiled and said:

"Nice meeting you Snape. Well, I'll see you in potions?"

He nodded, "Yeah. What's your name?"

She whispered, "Vicki." And her and Hope went down the hallway of the train and disappeared. James came up and looked at him suspiciously.

"Hey, what happened?" he asked.

Snape looked at him and smiled, "I think I met a new friend." And with that, the two boys followed everyone else out of the train and onto the boats, over to Hogwarts. Vicki couldn't stop thinking about Snapes eyes that night, as they went to the Gryffindor corridors. Even Hope noticed the way she was acting. It was like she was in a daze.

"Vicki, you better get that Snape guy out of your mind, and focus on passing this last semester." She said in a motherly voice. Vicki sighed,

"I'm sorry! Its not that I like him or anything! I don't even know him! I just liked his eyes, that's all." She explained.

"Mmhm. He's also in Slytherin. And we are enemies with them. You would be the laughing stock of the house if you went out with him." Hope pointed out, putting her pillows on her bed.

Vicki frowned, "_The laughing stock of the house."_

"You don't know that! Other people from our house are dating guys from the other houses! So why should I be not allowed to have the same privileges as everyone else?" she pointed out. Hope rubbed her forehead and sat down next to her best friend.

"Look. I'm not saying that you shouldn't be happy, because you should. I just don't want to see you getting hurt. That's all. It would kill me to see you that way." Hope held her hand, and Vicki nodded that she understood. She said thank you and lay down on her own bed. Hope went over to hers and she turned out the light. Vicki laid there in the darkness and thought about what her friend said. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was just better to be alone for now. Vicki closed her eyes, and went to dreamland.

Chapter Four

Snape woke up the next morning, with a pounding headache. He could not sleep last night because James and some other guys were having an after spring break party. He tried to create a sound barrier, but he could still hear their loud laughter and music. He looked over to where James bed was, and he was out cold on the floor. He chuckled, got out of bed, and slipped on his robes. He wasn't very hungry, so he went straight to class. On the way there, he thought about last night, how she whispered her name to him. The way her hair moved when she moved, the way she talked, her small lips moving with her words. He walked down to the dungeon where his class was, and went inside. No one else was in there and he sighed. He liked being the first one there. That way he had space to think. Walking over to his seat, he took out his scroll, and looked it over. The paper was perfect, in his mind at least. He wouldn't say that it was an A+ paper, but he knew he did a fairly decent job. Looking at the clock, it was five minutes to. Soon everyone would be rolling in with all their friends, laughing or still half awake.

Sure enough, he was right. The door opened, and all his classmates came rolling in. His head was still pounding with pain, but It got worse, because of all the talking. Then, Vicki and Hope walk in. they had their heads low, and whispering. Hope was talking very fast about something, and Vicki just nodded to everything she said. Snape couldn't tear his gaze from her. Vicki looked towards him, caught him looking at her, and her face turned scarlet. He blushed and turned his attention to the front. Vicki and Hope took their seats in the way back. Their teacher rushed in, robes flowing behind her like wind was blowing thru them, and started to write today's assignment on the board.

Vicki got out her scroll, her face still beat red. Hope didn't even bother to take out hers, because she turned it in over spring break.

"He was watching you." Hope whispered to her.

"I know… it was so strange!" she whispered back.

"I'll say. It was more like he was checking you out!" hope teased.

"Hope! Stop it!" Vicki scolded her, and looked to the front of the class.

"Today, you'll be turning in your papers and then we'll be learning about bringing back the dead with a Resurrection Potion." Their teacher said loudly.

The lesson of the day was very easy and delightful for Vicki. She already knew all of this, more like it was too easy for her because she loved Potions. All the students had to make the Resurrection Potion, and she was the first one done. The teacher didn't believe her at first, but then tried it on a dead spider, and it came back to life. Her teacher was very pleased and said to the class:

"If there is anyone you should be asking questions to, it's Vicki."

With that nice comment, Gryffindor got 800 points. She beamed with pride, and on her way back to her seat, Snape was staring at her in disbelief. Snape looked down at his potion and groaned.

_I'm usually done first! And she was done before me? How is that possible? Did she have it done before hand? Or is she just really good at potions?_

He thought to himself. The potion should have been so easy for him, but he could not get it right! He tested it on the dead fly on the floor, but all it did was twitch and then nothing happened. He decided to take an F for this lesson. After class was done, he waited until himself and Vicki were the last ones to leave. Hope usually had to go to quidditch practice right after potions, so as she was leaving the classroom, he went over to her.

"How did you do that?" he asked her coolly.

She grinned and said," Why? Are you jealous that I got it done first and it was successful?"

Snape was flabbergasted by her response and said, "Actually, I am. Are you sure that you didn't, Oh I don't know, cheated and prepared it before hand?" he looked at her coldly.

Vicki pressed her lips together, "How dare you accuse me of cheating. I would never do that." With that, she turned and walked out of the classroom.

_Man that was hot! The way she suddenly got angry… I like that!_

"Vicki, wait!" he called. "I'm sorry! Hold up!" he called her again, and finally catching up to her. She stopped and turned her attention toward him.

"Oh so your sorry? Good, because you were a jerk back there."

"I'm sorry. I was jealous that you got down before me, and it worked. I-I didn't have a good sleep last night, and I guess I might have missed an ingredient or something." Snape admitted.

"Well, Snape. I would be glad to help you if you would like? Maybe in the library after dinner?" she proposed.

He couldn't believe what he just heard, Vicki. Helping him with a potion he couldn't get right? Unbelievable! He smiled and said,

"I would most appreciate it. Thank you. Six O'clock in the library then."

"good, see you then." Vicki said with a smile and walked to class. She left him standing there, watching her leave. He smiled big, and slowly walked to his next class, thinking about how he just got asked to a study date, by the smartest girl in their potions class.

Vicki was blushing so bad after she left Snape to go to her next class. What was she thinking? Helping him with the potion? What has gotten into her? She had to admit that he was pretty clever to walk up to her and accuse her of cheating, the way he accused her, his voice so cold. It had sent shivers down her back, and his eyes playfully teasing her as he spoke. Was she developing a crush on him? It sure seemed like it. She hardly paid attention in her classes for the rest of the day. At dinner, her and hope spoke about the potion from the day and hope teased that she should bring her cat back to life.

"Oh how I miss kittykins!" She sighed, and winked at Vicki. Now that was just wrong.

After dinner, she made her way to the library. Snape didn't say where to meet, so she just went to the back of the library and sat down on the leather couch that everyone liked. She got out her potions book and scanned over the uses of the Resurrection potion. Hope was right, it worked on animals too. Five minutes later, Snape found her.

"Hey, there." She said looking up. "Right on time."

He grinned, "I'm always on time. I just didn't know where you were, so I figured I would start from the back and here you are!"

"Here I am! Let's get started shall we?" she asked.

"Sure. Teach me your ways, oh wise one!" he said in a deep, and surprisingly sexy voice. She laughed and turned a little pink.

They spent an hour in the library. Vicki showed him what potions belonged, what words to say when you're getting ready to put it all together, and what you can use on it. Snape was very impressed that she knew everything about it. He envied her, because he didn't know a single thing about the potion. But he was glad that she asked him if he wanted her to help him. Around 7:30, the library was supposed to close down in ten minutes and they made their way out of the maze of books. Snape looked at her, when they got to the door.

"Thank you for teaching me about the potion. I know so much more than our teacher taught us." He thanked her, smiling. She smiled back sweetly and replied,

"You're very welcome. I enjoyed your company tonight."

Snape gulped and asked, "Would you like to get together again, as in like a study date some other time?" he asked nervously. Vicki was shocked and said,

"Sure! That would be lovely. Just send me a note of what day and what time." She looked down at her feet, blushing like a wild fire.

"I can do that. Well, I should be going before my friend wonders where I am. So I'll see you later?" Vicki looked up.

"Yeah see you later." They both said goodbye and went their separate ways. They were both smiling all the way back to their corridors.

Chapter Five

Just as Vicki walked into their room, Hope pounced. She asked all sorts of questions. Like: Where were you after class? Why did you leave dinner so early? Why did you look so dazed in all of our classes? Vicki found this all very amusing, and she simply answered her with: "Snape and I were hanging out, that's all." Hope looked bewildered and asked nothing more. She wanted nothing more for her than happiness. But there was just something about Snape that she didn't like. James, in the Slytherin corridor was questioning Snape the same way.

"Where were you after dinner? I was looking for you." He said, nursing a cup of mint tea.

"I was with a friend, that's all. We were working on the resurrection potion for potions." Snape simply said. James eyed him, knowing there was more to the story.

"Was it a girl?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Snape shrugged for good measures.

"It was that Vicki girl, wasn't it?" James demanded.

"And what if it was? Why does it matter to you?" he coolly said.

"I thought you were into Sarah."

"Well, a man has to move on from things he simply cannot have. And Sarah is someone I cannot have." Snape stated, and slipped off his robes.

"Good for you man. You deserve to be happy. And if it is with this Vicki, then I'm happy for you." Snape felt loved by James when he said that. They have been best friends since they were small. He was like the brother that he never had.

The next couple of weeks were the best for Snape and Vicki. They got together three times a week to study in the library, and to walk each other to class. Both of them adored each others company, and they became good friends. Rumors started to go around, that they were a couple. They both laughed at these rumors, saying how silly they were. But deep inside both of them, they were falling hard for each other. Snape loved how Vicki made him feel. She made him feel like he was worth something. That he could do anything that his heart desired. Vicki loved how sweet Snape was to her. He would carry her books and make her laugh so hard, that she couldn't breathe at times. He also helped her with his favorite potion, the truth potion. They both knew that this friendship was fate. And later, they would find out that there was more for them in the future. It was the last week of April, and the owls were coming up faster than they could handle. They knew that they had to study very hard, and they decided to meet once a week, instead of three times a week. And instead, she sat by Snape in potions everyday, with Hope sitting next to her of course.

"What subject are you going to study the most for?" Snape asked Vicki before potions started.

"I think Herbology. That class is just so boring! I cannot stand it!" Vicki said, scrunching her face. Snape laughed and agreed. The owls for potions were going to be easy for the both of them. They knew all the potions and spells, so it was a piece of cake. So, the week went by slowly, as Snape and Vicki studied hard. Vicki and Hope studied everyday after supper, and James and Snape after defense of the dark arts. James was acting very strange lately, and Snape was getting irritated.

"Hey man, what's wrong with you lately?" Snape whispered, as they sat down in the library. James winced.

"I have something to tell you, and I don't think that you'll like it." Snape raised an eyebrow and asked what it was.

"I have just been told that Sarah likes you."

Snape froze in his seat. After all these years of trying to get with her, she finally likes him. Flashbacks came back of him staring at her and trying to impress her. And now the opportunity arrived, and he wasn't into her anymore. What was he going to do? He couldn't lead her on, because he wasn't a player, but he also didn't want to hurt her feelings. But he knew that he had to tell her that he wasn't interested in her anymore. Snape shrugged, and looked into his Dark Arts text book.

"Well? What are you going to do?" James asked.

"I'm going to tell her that I'm not interested."

"That's going to be interesting."

"Why is that?" Snape asked looking up.

"Because dude she is one of the most popular Slytherin girls, and she has her eyes on you. She always gets what she wants. And she wants you. Other guys would kill to be in your position."

"Well, she'll just have to face the fact that she can't have everything she wants, can she now?" Snape asked James. When he didn't answer, Snape went back to reading his text book. They didn't speak anymore, and as they went out of the library, they ran into Sarah. Sarah smiled at Snape and said,

"Snape, how good to see you! It's been way too long!" she smiled widely.

"Yes, it has been a while. How have you been?" he asked politely.

"Oh I have been doing alright, just cramming for the owls."

"Same here, well I should be going…" he said quickly, wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Wait, Snape. I would like to ask you something. Do you mind?" she asked taking his hand. Snape gulped and looked over at James who urged him to go.

"Well, sure."

They went over to the window on the staircase. Sarah was still holding his hand and she looked him straight in the eyes. His stomach dropped ten feet in his stomach.

"I have something that I need to tell you."

"Okay, what is it?" he asked, playing dumb.

"I like you, Snape. I have liked you since last year. And I heard from your sister that you have feelings for me."

Snape shifted uncomfortably. "That's actually not true, you see. I like someone else now. And she probably feels the same way. So I have to de-"before he even finished, Sarah forcefully kissed him. He felt her tongue move inside of his mouth, like a snake forcing its self into a hole. Snape pushed away, and stared at her.

"How did you like that?" she asked teasingly.

"Look, I do not like you. Please don't make me say it again." He said coldly, and he went around Sarah, his legs felt like jelly.

"You'll regret this Snape. In the end you will run back to me!" she shouted angrily at him as he made his way down the stairs. The only person that saw the whole thing was Hope, and she was steaming with anger.

Just as Snape walked down the stairs, Hope ran after him. She grabbed him by the collar, and shoved him into the wall.

"What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" she hisses angrily.

"I would ask the same thing!" he snaps back.

"I saw that little stunt over there with that tramp. Did she taste good? Did you see Vicki when you shoved your tongue down her throat?"

Snape pushes her off him. "For one, she kissed ME. I didn't! And no, it didn't. I didn't want to kiss her! I don't even like her anymore! I like Vicki." He says, looking at Hope in the eyes. She purses her lips together and crosses her arms.

"This better not be an act, so I don't have to kick your butt."

"No. it's not. You have to believe me! You saw what happened!" He pleads.

"Yes I did. Snape, Vicki likes you too, very much so. You make her happy. She has been going thru a lot lately, and you make her life better. You have my permission to ask her out, but if you break her heart in any shape or form, you're going to regret it. Got it?" she asks, giving him a death look.

"Of course I won't hurt her. Why would I?" he asks her. Hope shakes her head and whispers, "Because you're a guy." And with that, she walks down the stairs past him, leaving Snape speechless. He picks up his bag, and heads back to the Slytherin commons.

Chapter Six

The exams that week were hard, that Snape was so relieved when they were over. So was Vicki. They haven't seen each other during that whole week, besides in potions class, for the exam. Snape and Hope also haven't been talking to each other since the incident. Whenever the 4 of them were together; James, Vicki, Hope and himself were together, they behaved. As far as Snape knew, Vicki didn't know. And he was grateful that Hope didn't tell her.

It was almost the beginning of May, and Snape was building up the courage to ask Vicki out. He practiced what he would say to her, his gestures, where he would take her out. James helped him out too. Since James had much more experience with asking girls out then he did.

"Now remember, the key is to make this not painful. If she says no, tell her you understand and ask her if she still wants to be friends. If she says yes, then ask her what she wants in the relationship, and why she said yes. It's simple as that."

"That's not simple! That's a whole lot to remember!" Snape complains as they walk the bridge to their next class.

"Snape, you've got this! I know that she'll say yes. I can feel it." James assures him as he slaps his back.

"I sure hope so…"

"Don't worry about it. You've got it all down." Snape smiles and nods his head. James was right, he could do this. He has been thinking about the future a lot lately. About their first date, their first kiss. How his parents would love her, and how he would meet her parents. Holding hands in the hallway, kisses before class. James then breaks the silence.

"Snape, I have something to confess." He says slowly. They stop and Snape re-adjusts his bag on his shoulder.

"What is it?"

"Well… I like this girl. And she is so cool and I want to ask her out."

"That's great! Who is she?" he asks.

"Uh.. Hope." James says, looking away.

Snape laughs and punches James arm.

"I knew it! You like her! I'm happy for you man! You should totally ask her out!" Snape praises.

"You wouldn't be mad?" he asks.

"I would only be mad if you were going to use her. But you're not that kind of guy." Snape says, as they start walking again.

"Thanks man. Hope is just my type. We hit it off right away the same time you and Vicki did."

"Yeah, that's for sure." Snape agrees.

"So, when are you going to ask her out?" James asks, taking out an apple out of his bag.

"I was thinking of taking her out and having a picnic. I'll tell her then, maybe Saturday afternoon."

"You're such a romantic, a true Romeo." James says laughing. Snape grins.

"You have no idea."

Vicki and Hope were sitting on a bench, in silence. Vicki was worried about Hope. She has been very quiet lately. Usually when her friend is quiet, something is upsetting her. Vicki slips off her robe, relieved to have the hot wool off and places it next to her, then turns to look at Hope, whom is looking off in the distance.

"Hope? Is something wrong? You have been awfully quiet lately."

Hope turns and looks at her. Her eyes flick in a way that expresses anger. Vicki gulps.

"Nothing is wrong. I'm fine. It's a nice day, huh?" Hope asks, looking away again.

_Not making eye contact, and changing the subject. This has to be very serious._

"You know that you can tell me anything you know." Vicki says, grabbing Hope's hand and rubs it.

"I know. But there is something that I know that might hurt you." She says quietly, still not looking at Vicki.

"What is it? I can take it. It can't be that bad! Can it?"

"I caught Snape kissing another girl." Hope says slowly, and turns to look at her again. Vicki's heart races and she lets go of hope's hand. He kissed another girl? Who was it?

"It was Sarah, the popular Slytherin." Hope then says, reading her mind.

Vicki looks away, feeling her heart hurt. How can he? Didn't he take a hint that she liked him? Or was he completely blind to that fact?

_I thought I made it clear. That I made all the right moves…_

"I'm sorry, Vicki. I know that you really like him. Maybe it wasn't meant to be." Hope hugs her tightly. Vicki feels the tears coming on, they brim the edges of her eyes.

"What is wrong with me?" she sniffs.

"Nothing at all! He's a jerk. Come on let's go eat some ice cream in the commons." Hope says, taking her hand and Vicki's robe, and leading her into Hogwarts and to the Gryffindor commons.

Later, Snape writes a note to Vicki, asking her to meet him on the stairs of the Mailing tower. He ties the note to his owl's leg, and it flies off. He can feel his stomach churn, and he heads back to his commons, to get into some better clothes. The note arrives at Vicki's window, where her and hope are talking and eating ice cream. Cookie Dough ice cream, which is one of her favorites. The owl knocks the glass with it's beak, and Vicki gets up, opens the window and grabs the letter.

"Huh, a letter." She says, and sits on the bed.

"Who's it from?" hope asks, licking her spoon.

"I'm not sure." She says, and opens the letter. It's from Snape, and her heart races as she reads it.

"Dear Vicki, Please join me at the Mailing tower at 7pm tonight. There are some things that I must discuss with you.

Sincerely, Severus."

"Well? Who's it from?" Hope asks again, leaning over to see who its from. Her eyes get big and she jumps off the bed.

"Snape wants to meet you at the Mailing tower? No! You can't go! It's a bad idea!" Hope gushes. Vicki looks at her and shakes her head.

"I'm going." She says, and places the bowl on the floor.

"What? Why, After what he did? You're setting yourself up!" she argues.

"I don't think he's setting me up! I think he just wants to talk to me as a friend." She explains, grabbing her shoes, and slips them on. Hope grabs her arm.

"Think about it. He's a player!" Vicki shrugs her off.

"You don't know him, Hope. He's not a player. And plus, maybe it was a mistake. Maybe she kissed him first." Vicki says hoping that it's true. Hope grunts and storms out the door, without saying anything else. Vicki shakes her head, and walks out the door as well, down the stairs, and west outside of Hogwarts. She walks a short distance to the mailing tower, and up the two flights of stairs. When she reaches the top, she sees Snape leaning over the railing, looking towards the forest. She steps on the final step and says,

"Hello Snape, you wanted to see me?" She asks, as Snape turns and looks at her, and smiles that bright and huge smile that she loves.

"Hey! I'm so glad you're here. Would you like a Butterbeer?" he offers.

"Sure, why not?" Vicki says, and walks next to him. He hands her the drink, and she pops the top of and takes a swig.

"How were the owls's for you?" Snape asks.

"They were good. I'm pretty sure that I passed the potions one, and I think I got a decent grade in Herbology, how about you?"

Snape takes a drink and replies:

"About the same, except I think I got a decent grade in Defense of the Dark Arts."

"That's good!" Vicki says, and looks down. Snape looks at her and places his drink on the railing. They stand in silence for a minute or two. Snape is getting really nervous at this point, and so is she.

"Vicki, there is something I need to tell you." Snape says, as he places his hand on top of hers. This gesture sends shivers up her back, and she looks at him.

"If it's about you kissing Sarah, I don't want to hear about it." She says coldly, and pushes his hand off of hers. Snape is taken back, and groans.

"Who told you?"

"Who do you think? Hope did!" she snaps at him.

"Vicki, I didn't kiss her first! She did! Look, I use to like her. I did for a few years. I was stupid to think that she would ever like me. But you know what? I don't anymore. Do you know why?" he asks her. Vicki turns away from him, and doesn't answer. She crosses her arms in defiance.

"I don't like her, because I fell for you. When we first bumped into each other, I knew there was something different about you, that you weren't like other girls. You stole my breath away, and you make me feel like I am worth something. I love the way your eyes shine like stars at night, I love the way you laugh and throw your head back. I love the way your arms wrap around my waist when we hug goodbye. Vicki, I'm in love with you. And I want to be the guy you want to be with. And if you don't believe me, then ask James. He knows me better than anyone. And if I have to prove to you that I am worthy of your love, and if I have to earn it, I'll do it. I'll do what ever it takes." Snape finishes, almost out of breath.

Vicki freezes. She starts to shake and tears roll down her face. She can't believe that he DOES like her, actually love her. She was right. He wasn't a player. And kissing Sarah was a mistake. Snape moves closer to her.

"Vicki? Are you going to say anything?" he asks her softly.

Vicki turns around and jumps into his arms. She holds him tightly. She loves how his arms wrap around her. She cries as she runs her hands down his back. She can feel his strong muscles. She buries her face into the nape of his neck, and takes in the smell of his skin. He smells like honey and pine needles. She runs her fingers thru his hair, it is soft and smooth, even thou it looks greasy most of the time. She finally pulls her head up and cradles his face in her hands. She looks into his dark eyes and says:

"I love you too." And then, she passionately kisses him. The kiss is fiery and passionate. Snapes tongue explores her mouth, as he runs his hands down her back and he pulls her into him more. Her lips are so soft, like silk. She tastes like cherries. Her skin smells of warm vanilla sugar, her hair smells like strawberries. His heart swells with happiness. He loves her. The kiss goes on for a little longer and they pull away, breathing hard, gulping air. They are both blushing madly. Vicki wraps her arms around his neck, and he places his hands on her hips.

"Wow that was amazing." Snape says, smiling.

"I have to agree." She agrees.

"So what does this mean?" He asks, looking down at her smiling face.

"Well, I think that this means, we are a couple. Am I correct?" She reaches up and twirls a strand of hair between her thin fingers.

"Yes, yes you are correct." He softly says.

Chapter Seven

After the kiss, they spent another hour talking and holding each other. They discuss what they are going to do over the summer.

"What are you going to do over the summer?" Vicki asks.

"I'm going to be missing you." He says, rubbing her arm. She giggles.

"Well, that's good to know! I'm going to miss you too, a lot."

"I want you to meet my parents. Stay a week at my house." He insists.

"You really want me to? Wouldn't that be a bother for your parents?" she asks, worriedly.

"Of course I want you to! And I don't see why it would be! They'll be very shocked when they find out that I finally have a girl friend." He chuckles.

"Aha! I see, you just want to show me off." She teases.

"That's the idea!" he kisses her neck playfully.

Vicki smiles, and becomes quiet. She knows that he has to meet her parents too, but she is afraid. Her mother and father are so different from each other. Her mother is outgoing, sweet, and kind. But her father is very protective, harsh, and judgmental. She is worried that her father will hate Snape.

"When will I meet your parents?"

"Well, I'm not sure. You know my parents are divorced. So I'm sure my mother would love to meet you. But my dad…" she trails off.

"You're worried that he won't like me." He finishes.

"Yes."

"Don't worry, what is not to like?" he asks, and rubs his thumb along her jaw. She blushes and puts her forehead to his.

"Nothing." She whispers.

It's getting late, and it was about 10 pm when Snape walked Vicki back to the Gryffindor commons. They are the only ones up at this hour, and they have to be careful not to get caught.

"Well, this is my stop." Vicki says, holding Snapes hand.

"I wish I could come in, but Hope would kill me." He laughs quietly.

"Give her time. She has to get use to the fact that she'll be sharing me now. But she'll be too busy with James, if she says yes." She crosses her fingers.

"They'll make a very lovely couple." He states rubbing her hand.

Vicki nods, and pulls him into a hug. She places her head on his chest and listens to the beat of his heart. Snape places his chin on top of her head.

"You should go."

"I know." She sighs and pulls away.

"Goodnight, Snape." She says.

"Goodnight." Snape turns to walk away, and Vicki starts to open the door, when he speed walks back to her, and pulls her in for a goodnight kiss.

"Did you think I would've let you go to bed, without a kiss?" he asked afterwards.

"No, I knew you would come back." She whispers.

Vicki gives the Fat lady the pass word, and walks into the commons. She goes up the stairs into the girl's commons. Hope is still up, writing on a scroll. She looks up and waves. Vicki waves back and heads to her bed.

"About time you got back." Hope whispers, putting her scroll down.

"Worried much?" she asks, climbing into bed.

"What if I was? How was your meeting with Snape?"

Vicki starts to blush and she props up on her elbow and looks at hope with a big smile.

"He said that the kiss between him and Sarah was a mistake, and then he told me that he loved me. And we kissed. Over the summer I'm going to meet his parents. I'm going to have him meet my mom first." She finishes. Hope nods.

"I knew that you two would end up together."

"But you said that he was a player! And that he was a jerk! You don't like him!" she gets very confused.

"I lied. Because I knew he would tell you the truth, and I was doing my job." Hope grins and lies down. Baffled, Vicki sticks her tongue out at her.

"Jerk face."

"Yeah I know." Hope laughs and winks. "Congrats. I'm so happy for you. Oh and by the way, I'm dating James."

"I KNEW IT!"

"Calm down! You'll wake everyone up!" hope hushes her, turning red from embarrassment.

"James and Hope sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Vicki sings. Hope laughs and throws a pillow at her.

"You and Snape were snogging too! So shut up!" They laugh one last time, and settle down for the night.

Snape walks the empty halls alone as he replays the night's events. How the kiss felt, how she jumped into his arms crying with happiness. He smiled. He was so happy, that nothing could ruin this perfect night. He finally gets to the entrance of the Slytherin commons, says the password, and goes into the boys sleeping commons. James is passed out on his bed, snoring quietly.

_Well there goes for telling him the good news. _

He slips off his pants and shirt, and crawls into bed. He isn't tried yet, so he just stares up at the ceiling. The night air is cool, and the crickets chirp outside the window. A breeze blows thru the curtains, making the hair on his skin rise. He turns onto his side, and closes his eyes. Before he knows it, he is out.

The month of May goes by slowly. Vicki and Snape make it obvious that they are a couple. They hold hands, kiss before class and after class, and study after dinner. A lot of their classmates say that they are an interesting couple. Like Yin and Yang, very opposite, but yet at the same time, they are the same. As for Sarah, she is jealous as heck. Whenever they pass her in the hall, she tries to stop Snape to talk to him, but he just pushes past her and doesn't say anything. Vicki doesn't like her that much and makes it known to Sarah that he is hers now. As for James and Hope, their relationship is going very well. They are crazy about each other. They do the same things that Vicki and Snape do, except more extreme. James chases her around on the school grounds, they sleep in each others bed's every other night, make out in the dark corners of the school. They literally cannot keep their hands off of each other. One day, Vicki and Snape are walking on the bridge on the school grounds when Vicki stops.

"Snape, I need to tell you something."

He stops and moves closer to her. "What is it?"

"Its important, and I cannot hide it anymore." She says, with uncertainty.

"Alright, I'm all ears." Snape says, waiting.

"I'm- I'm a half blood." She says, looking away. Snape blinks and he grabs her chin and gently turns her head towards him.

"Is that all? Do you really think that matters to me?"

She sniffs and places her hand on his, holding her chin.

"Yes! Because you are full blooded, and I really want your parents to like me."

Snape nods. He knows that this might be a problem in the long run. But he didn't care he loved her and he wouldn't let his parents views on blood ruin them. He pulls her into him, and looks into her eyes.

"I know. But you know what? I don't care what they think. I love you just the way you are, and I don't care if you half blood or full blood. As long as we are happy together, nothing can tear us apart." Snape tells her. She nods and kisses him softly.

"When are you going to come spend a couple weeks with me and my mom?" she asks him when they pull away. He thinks for a minute.

"Well, I usually spend a couple weeks with James near the end of June. So I can spend a week with him, and then two weeks with you and your mom." He suggests. Vicki raises her eyebrows.

"Are you sure your parents won't be suspicious?" she asks.

"Honey, they trust me so much, that I could get into trouble and they won't know." He winks at her.

"Oh, you are such a bad boy!" Vicki teases.

"Yeah, it's a bad habit. But when it comes to you, it's so worth It." He says, slipping his arm around her waist. They walk back to Hogwarts, and they run into Emily, his sister.

"Hey Maggot." He teases her.

"Hey rodent." She replies. Vicki is stunned by the harsh nicknames, but cannot help but giggle.

"What's up? Haven't seen you in a while." He dramatically asks.

She rolls her eyes and winks at Vicki. "Nothing much going on, I just finished a couple of papers. And yes, it has been a while." Snape chuckles, nodding.

"Well, we'll let you go. Go to whatever you girls do." Snape says, as he starts pulling Vicki away.

"Bye! Have fun snogging!" Emily teases and walks away quickly. Vicki blushes when they walk away. Snape kisses her head and sighs.

"She is quite a character." She comments. Snape snorts.

"Yeah, and she's a little terror." He replies. Vicki giggles as they make their way to her commons.

"Would you like to come inside?" Vicki asks innocently. He winces and looks around. She pouts a little, and that makes him smile.

"You know that's against the rules."

"I know! But I'm not ready for you to go yet… plus, Hope does it too! Let's be bad for once!" She tries to convince him, grinning.

"You are turning into a bad girl! I love it! Alright, lets go." He agrees. He slips on an invisibility cloak, as she says the password, and the door swings open. She takes his hand, and leads him up the stairs, into the girl's commons. And sure enough, James and Hope are wrapped in each other's arms talking. Hope looks up, and grins.

"Oh no, she caught us!" she says sarcastically.

"Hey Vicki, you caught us." James says, blushing. Vicki grins and pulls the cloak off Snape.

"Hey James, you two huh?" he asks grinning. James laughs and Hope gasps.

"Vicki! He has turned you bad! I'm kind of proud! Well done, Snape." Hope approves and Vicki giggles.

"Thanks, Hope. I'm glad I can finally please you." He replies, sitting on the end of Vicki's bed. "Hey James, make sure to wake me up when you leave so we won't get in trouble will you?" James nods. "Sure man."

"What if I don't want you to leave?" Vicki teases.

"Vicki!" Hope scolds. Snape laughs and pulls her onto the bed with him. She kisses his neck softly, and runs his fingers thru his hair. Snape slips his hand under her shirt, and feels the skin of her back, and then slips his hand out. She rolls over to her side, and pulls the covers over them. The moon aluminates them, like when a light shines on an art piece. Snape presses his forehead to hers.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me." Snape whispers.

"You are too. I never want this feeling to go away." Vicki agrees.

They hold each other, their breathing in tune with each other. They lay there, oblivious to what their future is going to bring them, as they fall asleep together smiling.

Chapter Eight

"Severus, wake up." James whispered, shaking him softly.

It was about 6 am Saturday morning, and it took him a few seconds to realize where they were. He looked to his side, and saw Vicki, sleeping like an angel. He had spent the night with her, and they had to leave before they got caught. Using magic, he waved up a dozen roses for her, and left them on the pillow beside her. Then he quietly slipped out of her bed, put on his shirts and jeans, and followed James out of the girls commons, and back to the Slytherin commons. They didn't say anything for a bit, and when they reached their house, Snape stopped him.

"James?"

"What's up?" he asked sleepily.

"Is it okay if I stay with you for about 3 weeks this summer?" Snape asked. James grinned.

"You want to spend time with Vicki, without your parents knowing right?"

Snape looked down at his feet, hoping that it wasn't too much to ask of his best friend.

"Yeah, I do. If you don't want me to, I understand-"

"Brother, its okay. My mom will love it." James reassures him and they go into the commons and sleep in until 12 in the afternoon. When Vicki woke up, she saw the roses and smiled. Only Snape could make her this happy, as she sniffed the roses.

The rest of May and June went by quickly. By June 6th, the school year was over, and Snape and Vicki were putting the final touches on their plans to see each other this summer.

"So, I'm going to spend the 3 weeks at James. I'll come over to your place, and spend Friday thru Sunday with you. I'll be coming near the end of june until the first week of July." Snape tells her quickly, holding her hands tightly. They were standing on Platform 9 ¾ and he had to go.

"Sounds good, 3 weeks is a long time to be apart." She sadly says looking up at him. He cares her face gently.

"I know. But think of the nights we'll have together, plus I'll be meeting your mom."

"She can't wait to meet you." Vicki agrees. Snape hears James calling for him, and he pulls her into him, and kisses her passionately. They pull apart, Vicki's eyes full of tears as Hope comes up to them. James and Hope already had their goodbye earlier. Doing some "stuff" in a private car.

"Ready, Vicki?" she asks, putting her arm around Vicki's shoulder.

"I guess so." She sniffs.

"See you soon. I love you." Snape says giving her one last peck on the lips and turning away, running towards James. Vicki looks at him as he goes over to James. They both wave at the girls, and they wave back. The month of June, went by painfully slow. Vicki and Snape were going crazy without each other. Vicki spent most of her time making every potion in the potions text book to make time go faster. Snape spent most of June in his room, writing love poems to Vicki that he planned to give her for their 1 year anniversary. His mom was very suspicious and often urged him to go out and do something. One time, she walked in on him, reciting a Shakespeare poem. She laughed and asked what he was doing.

"Practicing." He replied, blushing madly.

"For who?" she teased him, making him turn red as a cherry.

"Uh, for school." He lied.

"A love poem for school? It must be a girl." She teased again, laughed and walked out and told his father.

"Charles! Snape is reciting a Shakespeare poem for a girl!" she told him excitedly. Charles chuckled.

"I hope we get to meet this girl soon." He says to his wife.

"Let's have her over for dinner sometime!" she says. Charles said that's a great idea, and went back to watching Quidditch on the TV. Finally, the week came when Snape was going to James's house. He packed enough for the three weeks and James picked him up. His mother gave him a big hug and whispered in his ear, "Have a good time, and when you come back, call up that girl of yours and invite her for dinner. Love you." Snape nodded and gulped. He climbed into James's car and they drove away.

"Are you ready?" James asks him.

"Yeah, it's been way too long. Thanks for doing this man." He thanks him.

"No problem. I told my mom the plan, and she was cool with it. She said that you can spend as much time with her as you want. And she's met Hope. She loves her to death." He told Snape about how Hope made her mom float in the air and made her dead plants grow. His mom was a muggle, and his father was a wizard. He was a half-blood like Vicki.

"Wow, impressive." Snape commented.

"You have no idea."

Meanwhile, Vicki was rushing around the house cleaning it from top to bottom. Her mother was making some baked goods and washing some clean sheets and blankets for Snape. She had set up a bed in the living room for him, but knowing Vicki, she knew that her daughter would end up sleeping with Snape. She smiled at the thought. Vicki was so happy with him. When she got home, Vicki talked about him non-stop. She felt like she has already met him. And she was excited to meet him. Vicki came into the kitchen, all red faced and hair had fallen out of her bun. She laughed out loud at the sight. Vicki looked like she was chasing chickens.

"Everything is clean. How much time before he gets here?" Vicki asks, out of breath. Her mom looks over at the clock it was quarter to one, so a half hour before he came.

"A half hour before your prince arrives."

"I still have to clean my room, and shower and get dressed!" she cries.

"Go take a shower, and I'll clean your room." Her mom says, pushing her out of the kitchen. Without any protest, Vicki runs into the bathroom and slams the door shut. She giggles, and goes up the stairs, and goes into her daughter's room. It has a lot of clutter, but nothing magic can't do. She waves her wand, and the clothes go into the baskets, the books on the shelves and the dirty glasses from her potions set into the box. Pleased, she walks down the stairs and hears a car pull up in the driveway. She looks out the large window in the living room, and see's a skinny, muscular teenager, with shiny black hair, open the passenger side door open and climbs out. He waves to the driver and heads to the front door. He rings the doorbell, and she opens the door with a warm and welcoming smile and says,

"Hello there! You must be Snape! Come in, we have been waiting for you!"

Chapter Nine

When her mom opens the door and greets him, he is lost for words. It's like he was staring at Vicki herself. He held out his hand,

"It's so nice to meet you Mrs. Warfield."

"Same to you Snape please come in. Vicki jumped into the shower, she won't be long." She said, shook his hand, and took his bags for him. Snape stepped inside and was amazed how clean it was. The house wasn't as big as his, but it had a cozy feel to it.

"Did your friend find the house alright?" she called from the kitchen.

"Oh yes Ma'am! The directions were excellent!" he called to her.

"Would you like anything to drink, Snape?"

"Anything will do, ma'am!" he replied. She came out with three bottles of Butterbeer, and sat down on the couch. "Please sit." She pointed to the comfy chair. He sat down and opened his drink. He already liked her mom. She was very sweet.

"So how long have you two been dating?" she asks casually, observing him. He clears his throat.

"Well, 2 months now. I am very fond of Vicki. She is the best thing that has happened to me, to be honest." Snape confesses, looking slightly embarrassed.

Her mom giggles and nods.

"She is very fond of you too. She talked about you non-stop for days when she came home. And don't worry, only the good things she told me." She said winking.

"Mom, where are you?" Vicki calls from upstairs. Snape almost spills his drink when he hears her voice.

"In the living room darling!" she calls. Then, Vicki comes to the top of the stairs and looks down to see Snape talking with her mom. Vicki is wearing a red tank top, cut off jeans, and her hair curled. "Snape." she whispers. Her heart is beating a million miles a minute when their eyes lock. Snape stands up and smiles. "Vicki." He whispers back. Vicki rushes down the stairs, he opens up his arms, and she jumps into them. Her mother laughs, and gets teary eyed. It's been a very long time she's seen her daughter happy. Snape twirls her around in his arms, and puts her down. They kiss slowly, forgetting that her mom is in the room. But when they look over, she has disappeared. Snape is confused, and Vicki laughs.

"Don't look surprised. She'll be back. She's checking on dinner." She assures him.

"Okay! Vicki, you look beautiful." He whispers. She blushes, and connects her forehead to his.

"You look so handsome. I have been dreaming of you every night."

"So have I. I'm so happy to be here." Snape says, hugging her.

Her mother calls them into the kitchen, and they eat. They have pot roast, and cake for dessert. The conversation is easy flowing, and a lot of laughter. Her mom teases them a lot, and asked Snape tons of questions. When he mentioned becoming a Potions master, she is delighted. She lends him a couple of old potions books from her years at Hogwarts. He asks what house she was in. She was in Slytherin, like his parents were. They never knew each other, because she was a couple years older. It was about 8 o'clock, when Vicki and Snape were alone at last. She took him outside, and they lay down on the grass, looking up at the stars.

"Snape?" she asked, "Do you think that the word love is used too often?"

"Sometimes it can be, but only if the person really means it. Why do you ask?"

"Do you mean it when you tell me that you love me?" she asks, turning her head to look at him. He freezes and then pulls her on top of him.

"Of course I mean it! I mean every thing I say. This isn't puppy love. This is real love. And I love you so much, Vicki." He tells her, looking lovingly at her.

"I love you too. I'll never love anyone else."

"No one?"

"No one, and if we ever shall break up, you'll always be my first and only love." She says, caring his face softly.

"As long as you're happy, I'm happy." Snape whispers, kissing her soft lips.

They stayed outside until 10 pm, and they quietly made their way back inside. The house was pitch black, and neither of them could see anything.

"How can you see where you're going?" Snape whispered, waving his hands in front of him.

"You get used to it after a while! Use you're feet!" Vicki whispered back, giggling as he waved his arms in front of him.

"My feet aren't listening!" snape complained.

"Goodness! Here!" Vicki grabbed his hands, and placed them on her hips. Snapes face turned pink. Thank goodness she couldn't see his face! Vicki smiled. She loved the feel of his hands on her hips. It felt like she was a puzzle, and his hands fit just perfectly in the spot where it was missing a spot. A minute later, they finally made it to the couch. Vicki sat down first, Snape following.

"We made it! That was a long journey." Snape teased.

"If it wasn't for me and my hips, you would have woken mother up and she would have sent you outside for the night!" Vicki flirted.

"I would just sneak back inside you know." He said winking.

"Severus Snape, You're a sneaky boy!"

They teased for a little while more, and they laid in each others arms again. It was the first night in a while since they had done it. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep. What they didn't know, was that her mother saw them sleeping together when she got up to go to the bathroom. And she didn't wake them. She didn't want to disturb such a precious moment.


End file.
